Yielbiug seisf-aaighting safety eamp post



F.W.GmSWOLD YIELDING SELF ARIGHTING SAFETY LAMP PosT 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug, 2

July l0, 1923.

F. W. GRISWOLD YIELDING SELF ARIGHTING SAFETY LAMP POST 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 2, 1922 l l l l l /2 fla/fn y 7 I, ff

Patented July 10, 1923.

STATE S4 EEANK W- GRISWOI-ID,`

or ROGERS, MINNESOTA.

ylnnnne SELFLARIGHTING' SAFETY p nam/ir rosfr.

ApplicatiomledAugust 2, 1922. Serial No. 579,290.

To @ZZ whom t mag/yooncerw:

Be it known that I, FRANKW'-GrIswoLD, a citizen' ofthe United States, residingat Rogersg inthe :county of; Hennepinand State;

5 ofY-Minnesota, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvementsv in Yielding Self,-

Arighting Safety;-V liamp Posts; and If, do

herebyf declares they following tot be a. full,

clear, .andiexactrideseriptioni ofu the inventiong sucliaas-willjenable others.- skilled in the art` tof which it. appertai'ns to make!l and;I use the same:

` This invention relates to meansfforsup-Y porting-af, lamp VpostI` or.V similar post adaptedy toibeplaeede-in orf atvthasrdes of'la street or pavement located; where :it: is possible forthe samelto-beistrucleby traic Vehicles@- With the! large numbersof;` automobiles, operating invcitiesfit; is-becominga very. frequent occur.- rencefor lanipposts ;and signal posts-to be struck by such'. automobiles@ and; broken t ofl". .llhis constant.i breakage. of; lampV posts and similar structures-r results iina great expense tothe city orfconcenn installing andi` replacingthe same. ,n

It is an Aobject-off'thisimvention; therefore, to provide'such ai post having@av sup orting means-,permittingfthe posttoswing w en the same; is struck, i such.v a swingingA movement permitt-ingfthepost toswing to substantially alv horizontal position.`

Ity .i is a. furthen object of` the invention to provide such ail supporting means.V comprisf ing a pluralitywof pivotedijlsections. adapted togbefraisedrwhenthepostisswung.

It is ay still` further object of the. invention to provide extensible meansffonholding the-post in.. upright positlon. and returning thesame to=such,-position together withguidf in means insuring-that the'postwillpropfl er eontactone-o-fg s aid-pivoted71 sections.-

These'andotherobiects and advantrag@.S50154 the. invention willi be; i fully:l Set: fOr-th in the.

with thejf acoompa'nyingf.l drawings; in whichi like@ reference c.haracte-rs:` refer-f to: the same, partsfthmughmtthe di. views, @11d-i112 which, t

F ig. 1 is.aipairtialiplanfviewi Qfgthe device; VFigs 2?; w1 side elevation-1 0f., part ofthie:Supporting-mams.. Y

Eig. Salis: af view ing? `Verticalsection off the f following description made, in connection Fig. 4c .isf a` v iewf in front elevation` of the complete post and supporting meana the same being ony a reduced scale.

Referring to the drawings, a post: 1'` is shownwhich may be any ordinary lamp-post, signal; post or similar structure. The postV 1s secured at its 2i substantially ofball or spherical; shape, whichmember has a; lug 3 projecting`V cenitrally from its lower side. The supporting means for saidA members comprises a casing-including a member 4. which will preferably be acasting,andwhich` is shown as ofvsubstantially square or. rectangular shape.` This member .tis adapted to be seeuredin the ground.; or in thepavement ofthe thoroughfare by suitableV foundation bolts 5e depending corners ofsaid member 4; The member 4 is provided with. recesses at the fourV sides thereofy in which are disposed' pivoted mem bers. The side portion of these members converge along radial lines and they have.

ed' thereto to fa'cilliatey the placing of the members 7. Depending fromfthe member 4f beneath the members 5 are` ribs or lugs 9, and bolts l0 extend throughthese lugs and; formthe attaching bolts'fora casing 1l ofi inverted frusto-conical shape, extends aroundfthe-.outside ofthe ribs 9r and encloses the same. The; inner ends of the bolts l0 arev formed with eyes for apurpose to be later described;` Thecasing. ll has a channel member 12` bolted thereto on` the outsidev thereof with itsflanges depending therefrom. The. bolt413-v securing they members. 11` andi 12: togetheris also4 formed as anieye-boltlon its inner `portion and thesameis, enga-,gedrby one, end of an. extensible spring 14, the upper end ofwhichis.secured` 1n a pipeortube 15; which latterisformed: with a hook adapted to be secured through an aperture in the projection 34 off. ball- 2i tue lower' end in ai member from and` extending through the,

\ which casingA The member 15 has a plate 16 secured thereto adjacent its top end provided with a plurality of spaced holes, and extensible springs 17 have one of their ends engaged through the said holes in said plate and their other ends engaged in the inner ends of the bolts 10. The member 4 is also provided with inwardly projecting equally spaced tapered or wedge shape members 18 having their central axes disposed in alinement with the adjacent edges of the members 5. The members 18 are curved downwardly on their top surfaces and form the support normally supporting the ball 2 when the same is in upright position.

From the above described structure it is seen that normally the post 1 is held in upright position by the springs 14 and 17 and the members 5 are in horizontal position in contact with the member 4. The top of members 4 and 5 are preferably arranged flush with the surface of the pavement or ground of the thoroughfare. If the post 1 be struck by a vehicle or other heavy member, the same will swing to one side and extend the tension springs 14 and 17. VThe post will fulcrum against the edge of one of the members 5 and there will bea considerable slipping movement along said edge owing to the resistance of the attaching springs. As the post swings tol one side, the downwardly7 extending projection 3 will be swung laterally and engage under one of the members 5, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The members 18 will insure that this projection will always be guided into proper engagement with the under front edge of said members 5. As the post swings, said member 5 will be lifted and room thus provided for passage of member 15 and also the end of one of the springs 17 should the post be swung sufficiently to one side. After the pressure is removed from the post 1 the same will be returned to its upright position by action of springs 14 and 17 and the members 5 will drop into the position shown in Fig. 3, by gravity. This gravity action of the members 5 is, of course, equivalent to having the same mounted with tension means urging them to normal position.

The chamber formed by members 4 and 11 is liquid tight and in practice the same is filled with oil to the level indicated in Fig. 3. This keeps the parts free from rust and stiffness and insures a successful operation of the springs and connections.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a simple and enicient means for preventing injury to a lamp post or similar structure when the same is'struclc by a moving vehicle or other object. The post, as stated, can be pushed to substantially parallel position with the pavement and will yet be uninjured. The

parts of the device are few and can be made sufficiently rugged to withstand heavy traffic. Theparts are also designed to be securely held in a pavement and will form a part or continuation thereof.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details and arrangement of the parts without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims What I claim is: i

1. A lamp post or similar structure having in combination,` an upstanding post, a ball secured to vthe 4lower end thereof, extensible means for holding the ball and post normally in upright position, and a plurality of pivoted members flush with the ground or pavement surface adjacent the post and adapted to be independently lifted when the post is swung to inclined position.

2. A lamp post or similar structure having in combination an upstanding post, a ball secured to the lower end thereof, having a downwardly extending central projection on its'underside, extensible resilient means connected to said projection for holding the ball and post in upright position, and a plurality of hinged-members vhaving their top surfaces horizontal and pivoted on horizontal axes spaced outwardly of said ball adapted to be `independently contacted and raised by said projection.

3. A lamp post or similar structure having in combination an upstanding post, a ball secured to the base of the same having a depending projection, spaced supporting means for said ball, a plurality ofmembers surrounding said ball and contacting therewith at their forward edges pivoted on horizontal axes spaced outwardly of the ball, extensible means for holding the ball and post in upright position, said supporting means forming guiding means for Vsaid projection to guide the same into contact with one of said pivoted members when the post is swung to inclined position. f

4. A lamp post 'or similar structure having in combination an upstanding post having a ball secured to its lower end, said ball having a central downwardly projecting attaching means on its lower underside, a plurality of members surrounding said ball and pivoted on axes disposed outwardly thereof, extensible means for holding the ball in upright position, andy means for guiding said attaching means into contact with one of said members when the post and ball are swung to inclined position.

5. A lamp'post structure having in combination an upstanding post having a ball secured to the lower end thereof and a plurality of pivoted members surrounding said ball and contacting therewith at their forward ends, said Vmembers having radially extending adjacent edges and being pivoted on axes disposed outwardly of said ball.

6. A lamp post or similar structure having in combination, a lamp post having a y substantially spherical member secured at its lower end, means for supporting said members comprising a casing having a horizontal top surface', a plurality of hinge members surrounding said spherical member and having their front edges substantially in contact therewith, and flexible means carried in said front edges of said members contacting said spherical member.

7. A lamp post or similar structure having in combination an upstanding post having a substantially spherical member secured to its lower end, said member having a central downwardly extending attaching means on its underside, a casing having spaced supporting means for said spherical member, and a plurality of hinged members at the top of said casing surrounding said spherical member and contacting therewith at their forward edges, and extensible means fory holding said post and spherical member 'in -normal position and for returning the same to normal position after being swung from upright position.

8. A lamp post or similar structurek hav-` ing in combination, a casing including an inverted frusto-conical chamber at its lower side, said casing 'being adapted to be set into the pavement or a roadway, means for attaching the casing to said pavement, an upstanding post having a ball vsecured to its lower end supported in said casing, said ball having a downwardly extending attaching means at its underside, a rigid member swiveled to said attaching means and depending therefrom, a spring secured to said rigid member and to the bottom ofthe casing, and a plurality of substantially horizontal tensionv springs secured to said rigid member adjacent the bottom of said ball and secured at their other ends to the sides of the casing.

9. A lamp post or similar structure comprising an upstanding post having a ball secured to its lower end, means for supporting said ball and post for swinging movement, a substantially vertical extending spring enclosed in a cylindrical casing, a circular collar near the top of said casing and a plurality of horizontally radiating Springs secured at intervals to said collar operative in co-operation with said vertical spring to normally hold said ball in and return the same to normal position.

l0. A lamp post or similar structure having in combination, an upstanding post, means adjacent the bottom thereof for supporting said post for swivelling` movement, extensible means for normally holding said post in upright position, and a plurality of pivoted members surrounding said post and supporting means. y

ll. A lamp post or similar structure having in combination, an upstanding post, a member having a curved surface secured to the lower end thereof, extensible means for holding the said members normally in upright position and a movable supporting means adjacent the post operative to permit the post to be swung to substantially a horizonal position.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

FRANK W. GRISWOLD. 

